CRAIG HIGNETT has described as ‘laughable’ the rules surrounding this season’s Checkatrade Trophy.

Hartlepool United play at Notts County tomorrow night, as the rest of the games take place this evening in a revamped competition now no longer open to only teams in the bottom two divisions of the Football League.

Some 16 Academy teams from Premier League and Championship clubs have been invited, with the apparent aim of improving the fortunes of the England national team.

The introduction of the extra teams mean the competition is no longer classed as a first-team competitive fixtures at the insistence of the invited clubs who didn’t want some of their prospects potentially suspended for Premier League and Championship games.

Because of that ruling the one-game suspension for defender Toto Nsiala won’t start tonight, but instead rule him out of Saturday’s game at Stevenge in League Two.

Yet Pools, and other teams in Leagues One and Two, are ordered to field what is considered a full strength team – or face a fine.

It means six players who started the previous game must start – or six players who have played the most games for the club this season.

Competition rules state: “Each EFL Club shall play its full available strength in and during all Matches. The League will from time to time issue a policy as to what constitutes 'full available strength'. Any Club failing to meet this requirement will be required to pay a fine of up to £5,000.’’

Hignett said: “There’s this stupid rule where we have to play at least six players who have played the week before.

“So we’ve got two players we’ve just signed (Scott Harrison and Liam Donnelly), Saturday was their first game, it was Jordy Richards’ first game – so none of them count as the six.

“Trevor Carson and Liam are away on international duty with Ireland and Ireland Under-21s so they can’t play.

“Rob Jones won’t be fit, he needs a few more days with his back. Batesy turned an ankle and I would have rested him anyway, no point risking him in a pointless game.

“It leaves me in a position where the club might get fined because the club can’t play six people who played on Saturday. It’s a pointless game.’’

Back in 2007, Pools won 5-1 at Lincoln City – after boss Danny Wilson replaced Richard Barker with Joel Porter after nine minutes as he skirted around the rule.

And Hignett added: “Let’s see what we can do about it. We may have to make substitutions after ten seconds. It’s a stupid rule.

“I’ve a squad here I use. I don’t consider what is my strongest side. I have options and why should I be dictated to? Who knows what my strongest side is? Do they come to training and watch us so they know?

“We’ve got players we can’t pick who we want to play and players who we can’t pick because they’ve not played enough. It’s nonsense.’’

He continued: “It’s laughable. Who has a right to tell me what my strongest side is. There was a situation here a few years ago where Hartlepool won 5-1, won the performance of the week award in the competition and then were fined for fielding a weakened side.

“That cannot be right, in any world that cannot be right. Likewise if you have people who have been sent-off, people on international duty, who can’t play. How can I get round it and play six people who have played the most and week in, week out when they need a rest?

“It drives you mad. But we will have to get on with it.’’

Football League chief executive, Shaun Harvey, claimed: “The new format is intended to rejuvenate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football. This will help us deliver more and better homegrown players, which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels.”